continuing education requirements

(CE) Credits

CHAPLAIN Required 25 hours of CE per year. We see this as the absolute minimum expectation and desire our Chaplains to earn much more than that. After all a "Disciple is a student who learns and applies so that they make continuous progress." 


Continuing Education Hours Reported Annually

 

Professionally certified chaplains such as "Board Certified Chaplain," "Board Endorsed Clinical Chaplain," "Board Certified Associate Chaplain," will have higher continuing education requirements as required by the certifying agency. We will accept any hours for CE that your board certifying agency accepts. 

Our Chaplains keep a record of their CE sources and report them by December 31 each year. Continuing education credit hours may be obtained by any combination of items from the following list:

  • In 2023 we put on our first annual spiritual care conference in Indianapolis. It was a resounding success and we are committed to gather for fellowship, deep relationships, education, and camaraderie each year. Please join us at our annual conference and you will earn a minimum of 25 hours of continuing education. Just keep your eyes on the website to learn more about our upcoming conference.  

  • Participate in any weekly bible study of your church or small group. This must be a formal bible study taught by a pastor or one of your elders. 


    For each hour of instruction, count as an hour of CE. 

  • Participate in the 12 week truth project study available HERE


    30 Hours

  • Attend any retreat, training, or conference offered by your church, by Christian Chaplains & Coaching Inc., or any Christian ministry. You may include any and all actual workshops, training events, or learning programs. You may not count travel or other items. Course work only please. We accept training provided by Kairos Prison Ministry for CE. 


    For each hour of instruction, count as an hour for CE. 

  • Obtain your Certification in “Critical Incident Stress Management” or "Community Emergency Response Team" by participating in training available in your area and earn CE. Hours vary depending on the course work you do. Two great resources including: International Critical Incident Foundation at www.icisf.org and K-Love CRC Crisis Response Training (www.crisisresponse.org). We will accept for CE any course taken through these programs. For CERT (Community Emergency Response Training) you must go to a FEMA instructor (www.training.fema.gov)  

  • Become a certified facilitator for Marriage and Pre-Marriage counseling by completing the online course. For just $249.99 you can take an online course from "Prepare/Enrich" to become certified. This will prepare you for pre-marriage and marriage counseling as part of your Spiritual Care practice. 


    To View Prepare-Enrich Course Click Here


    You may claim 10 hours of Continuing Education for this Course. 

  • Your participation in serving on a Kairos Prison Ministry inside weekend can be counted for 25 hours of CE. This can be taken ONE TIME ONLY and only when it is your first time serving on an inside team where you participated in both the team training sessions leading up to the weekend plus participated in the weekend. Once you have served on a weekend, you can NOT claim continuing education for serving on future weekends. We encourage all of our Chaplains to serve on at least one Kairos Prison Ministry inside weekends. This is an incredible opportunity to learn Chaplain skills in a setting that may change your life. 

  • Read any book from our approved reading list. This list will be expanded over time so check back often. Please note, the Bible is included in this list! We encourage our Chaplains to read and study their Bible regularly. Do so, and earn CE. 


    Credits are allowed at 2 minutes per page. So, pick a book, count the number of pages and calculate the hours at 2 minutes per page or 1 hour per 30 pages. For example, a 400 page book would provide 13 hours of CE while a 200 page book would provide 7.5 hours of CE. 


    If you would like to recommend a book that is not on our approved list, please write a short paper summarizing the book. Give us the cliff notes version. Describe the main point, how it is helpful to spiritual matters, pastoral care, and chaplaincy. Write a short paragraph summarizing each chapter. Even if the book is not approved you will earn CE as described above plus 2 hours for writing the paper. 

  • Attend any of our Monthly Chaplain Video meetings and receive 1 hour of CE for each meeting you attend. Just keep track of the meetings you attended and report it to us when it comes time to verify your CE. 

  • NOTE: All Chaplains must complete the online course "Certificate in Christian Counseling" as a requirement of continuing education. The reason is because all Chaplains engage in Christian counseling. This course is a must. Please take this within the first year of becoming a Chaplain. 


    As we add online courses you may sign up for and complete any course as available. Courses will offer varying amounts of CE and will be reasonably priced, with 50% discount for our Chaplains. Check back often as we will be developing courses and adding them to our website. - Varying hours. 


    Learn more about the Chaplains Academy and view our current course offerings here →

  • Four day certification course in grief support. This is an intensive certification course. It is accepted by the Veterans Administration for Specialty Certification for VA Hospital Chaplains. 

    Normal price is $2,495. Our chaplains in good standing receive a $300 discount for a reduced rate of $2,195. Veterans may receive additional discounts depending on GI Bill or Vocational Rehabilitation benefits. 

    To sign up you must call Kim Livingston, Director of Certification Training at 818-921-7739, or email klivingston@griefrecoverymethod.com. 

    If you complete this valuable course you can take 35 hours of Continuing Education Credit. 


    View The Grief Recovery Method Here


    View the VA Acceptance of Certification Here

  • Our CPE courses can lead to board certification as a Chaplain or Pastoral Counselor depending on your highest earned degree. If you have a high school or higher education you can enroll in CPE. We encourage all of our Chaplains to take CPE. It is a life changing transformational learning experience. You will receive one on one personalized Christian Life Coaching through 4 courses of 15 weeks each. Learn how to practice the ministry of presence, ask curious questions, show interest in a persons story, cultural competency, and the common qualifications of Chaplaincy. And all of it is from an unapologetically Biblical Worldview. 


    In our collaboration with The Association of Biblical Higher Education you may even earn credit toward a Bachelors or Masters Degree with one of our participation Christian Universities or Seminaries. 


    Each course of CPE will provide you with 100 hours of continuing education. And it is guaranteed to change your life and ministry. 


    Learn More by Clicking Here

  • If you create a course or bible study on any spiritual care or ministry topic you may take 1 hour for every hour you spend in creating the course. This can be taken for course writing only, but not for teaching it after you have created the course. 

  • We support you in your journey of higher education. Any courses you take as part of earning a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral Degree in ministry, theology, counseling, or ministry will give you credit toward your continuing education. And consider working with one of our partner institutions who will accept significant transfer credit into your degree from taking CPE with us. Imagine getting that Masters in Chaplaincy or a Masters of Divinity and earning up to 24 hours toward your degree from CPE taught exclusively from an unapologetically Biblical Christian Worldview, while teaching to the common qualifications for Chaplaincy established by the Board Certified Chaplain Institute (BCCI) required for board certification. 


    Click Here To Learn More